Child
by iCantimations
Summary: Being the daughter of the Champion and the Prodigy is not an easy job, and Hanna Wing can tell you so much more. Her dream is to be normal. When her brother suddenly gets a mutated plague, Hanna really needs to step up. She meets Kalen along the way, who is a Colonist. Can the future she hoped for be possible? Would her brother survive? Can something really spark with a Colonist?
1. Chapter 1

Child

By LittleMissCrash

Chapter 1: Hanna

I don't know how the heck I'm supposed to live up to my parents' reputation. Having the Champion as my father and the Prodigy as my mother is not an easy thing to manage at school. Everybody expects you to be like them, like the next rebel or the next person to get a full score on the Trials. I just want to live a quiet, normal life with a husband and children. Is that too much to ask for? Somehow, these thoughts always bounce back to me in the morning. I sit up and look around my room. Everything still looks the same. It was 0600 hours. I have one hour to get ready for school. That is plenty of time. I find my uniform crumpled on the ground, sighing and putting on the ugly colors of Drake University. Mom insisted I go somewhere else, but dad said it would be good for me to attend the reformed version of a military school. Mom was hesitant but agreed, unfortunately.

I quietly walked through our fine carpeted halls, and hurried into my fourteen-year-old brother's room. He awoke as soon as I opened the door, but had buried his face under the blankets. He wasn't exactly a heavy sleeper.

"Dawn, it's time for school." Yes, his name is Dawn. He used be made fun of until people found out he was the son of the Champion and Prodigy.

"Go away, Hanna. I know when to wake up, so you don't have to come here every morning." He said with his dark locks draping over his face. I know I love him, but he gets on my nerves so much! I know his weakness, though.

"No breakfast for you then." He was already stepping into his uniform. I smile as I hurry to my room.

I pull the brush through my endless white blonde curls. People say that I look exactly like my father, except for the face, which I inherited from my mother. My brother the opposite.

When I got to the kitchen, I saw my mom sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee. My dad was just walking out of the bathroom, hair still dripping with water. I'd have to mop again later.

"Hanna, your uncle will be here any minute now, you might as well get ready." My father says. Uncle Eden is my father's younger brother and my only relative. My grandparents, my mom's brother, and my dad's older brother all died long before I was born. "Oh, and your mother canceled your school plans for today, yeah? The Elector invited us to the Cherry Blossom Ball." I paused for a second, and sighed. The Elector had once been fond of my mom, but now he has Mariana, his Princeps (In my opinion, she is way too old for him). This resulted in us being invited to every little thing that there is to attend. My father hates going as much as I do. I wouldn't even care if the Republic suddenly fell apart. The thing is, I hate being around the rich snobs that are there, like Anais Bowers. Annie, which is what she makes us all call her, had somehow put a claim on my brother, and my brother doesn't do anything to stop her. However, Annie's family is very nice, with her mother being my father's childhood friend and all, she is a small woman with very kind eyes named Tess, and Annie's father is a big and rough Runner.

I hear my brother's footsteps coming down the hallway and I turn to see him in his fresh and much more attractive uniform. Then I hear my mom gasp, and drop her cup. His face was not the perfection it was yesterday. There was a sick purple bruise developing across his left eye.

My father's voice was barely above a whisper.

"The plague is back."


	2. Chapter 2

Child

By LittleMissCrash

Chapter 2: Kalen

I have once again been sent to the Chancellor's office for inappropriate behavior, as they say. I was only talking to some hot girls. I mean nobody can resist that, right? I can never have any freedom, can I? Colonies have been closely monitored by the United Nations after a dramatic battle twenty-eight years ago with the Republic. Not that they hadn't played it dirty as well. They deliberately faked surrender. Then the Chancellor walks in robed in its entire honor. All the walls are covered with DesCon Corp, Cloud Corp, Meditech, and Evergreen Enterprises holograms. The Chancellor canceled them all and sat down on his all and mighty chair.

"Kalen, I've been told that you were showing behavior that you were told not to accomplish." The Chancellor said with his fingers rubbing his temples. Of course, I've been in here more than any other Colonist has.

"Yes dad." All of the Colonies know this, that I am the "prince" of this glorious country. Those girls I was flirting with were obviously rewarded with a great honor.

"How many times do I have to say to you? I am 'father' to you. I am no simple 'dad'!" He spat back the last word like it was a rotten egg. He gained himself and sighed and exasperated sigh. "Just what did you do this time?" I sighed and cleared my throat.

"I just flirted with some girls that were by the streets and the two girls obviously enjoyed it." I thought back to the taller one with the hazel eyes.

"I have had enough!" My father boomed. "Kalen, do you know how much of a disappointment you are to me? The prince should be a more governed, orderly, future Chancellor. And actually comb their hair when they wake up." Then he shuffled out some hologram tablets. "I already applied you for Carcal Corp Schools." Carcal Corp Schools? Those are schools are for the young criminals. He's going to send me there? From what I have heard, that place is absolutely terrible. Their lessons are boring and are punished by an entire day of whipping if your grade is not above a 600. A full grade is a 1000, and that has always been what I got before my father adorned me with useless duties.

"Father, you can't send me to a criminal school. The country won't let you." I say as calmly as possible, but I know his next words.

"I can do whatever I want! I am the Chancellor of the Colonies of America, and you will do as I say!" He says as he slams his hand onto his desk. "You shall leave tomorrow at the crack of dawn, if you don't I'll bring in the DesCon Corp Head and _force_ you into the plane!" With that, I knew it meant that he dismissed me. Of course I will obey his orders. I will go.

But he did not say where.

The packing that is needed for my escape to the Republic of America is, surprisingly, very light. I brought a jacket, extra pants, water, and hunger pellets. Hunger pellets reduced my hunger rates, which would be very helpful on this trip. The capital of the Colonies is almost right next to the Warfront, thank goodness. I decided to leave now, and having absolutely no plan at all is pretty much my plan. I snuck out of the windows, pulled on my extra-large hood and walked onto the streets of the Colonies.

I don't know why I chose the Republic, since I hated it. It was their fault that a plague roamed around us. They got us fined for the war. They killed the previous Chancellor. Maybe I wanted to escape from my father a long time ago. Maybe I was looking for another country to escape from my father. China and the European Union are overseas, which would be possible if I could fly a plane. Canada is too far away to run in one night. This leaves me with the good old neighbor. Great.

I can see the Warfront being pulled closer and closer to me. There were no guards, however. How strange. There was always a group of guards huddled at the border playing game of hologram cards and with the country this poor, they can only afford such. Paper has become greatly expensive after the charge put against the Colonies. But this is my lucky day. I pass through swiftly, nobody catching an eye of me. Then I saw the ruins of the edge of the Republic, and I know that the Colonies had done this, many years ago. I kept walking, knowing now that seeing such a strange person walking on the streets would be no problem for them, for they could imagine me as "from the slums." Night has fallen already, and I could see myself nearing the capital of this new country.

I walked on for a little longer, until I finally sat at the back entrance of a building obviously for the Elector Primo.

From exhaustion, I collapse there and drift to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Child

By LittleMissCrash

Chapter 3: Hanna

Earlier this day we took Dawn to hospital, and I stayed there the entire time. Dawn tried to mask a face of fear with bravery, but everybody could see through and find the fear that was hidden in his golden specked black eyes. My father rarely spoke about his family, aside from Uncle Eden. The rare time he does mention them in a conversation, I can pick up a lot of details, such as my father's older brother John. My father used to be the legendary criminal, but when he was finally caught, courtesy of my mom, he was ordered execution by firing squad, but on the day of his death, John somehow took his place and… Uncle Eden used to have the plague, but he was cured, but after he was cured it left him almost blind, he later got his eyesight back by help from Antarctica. Because of this, I could see the twisted pain through my father's eyes, how he was reliving the terrors of his past. My father insisted on staying with Dawn, making it clear he did not want to go to the ball anyway. My mother and I went.

Which explains why I am here now. It is now 2145 hours. I am sitting on the sidelines with Annie glaring at me. It is pretty clear that she hates me by now. Without the presence of Dawn, it makes her even more pissed off. Geez, she is only thirteen, what kind of naïve crush was this? Today is one of my worse dress nights. Usually the dresses are comfortable and loose, but today, it was super tight and it hurts to walk. I feel like the second I get outside, I will gladly free my legs from this treacherous 45 thousand Note piece.

"Um, hi." A voice comes from behind me. I turn and glare at whoever it was due to my current terrible mood. Of course, a voice like that could only be from Alex Stravropoulos. Tall and dark haired just like how his father used to look…like I would know. I immediately turn on my practiced, automatic smile. Sure, I knew he's a hottie, but he is not my type. His crush on me was so obvious that it was almost disgusting. Sadly he is also in Drake, so he has had plenty of chances to ask me out. Many men like me, but it's just none of them making it as obvious as he does. They are all bolder than Alex is though. I have turned down more people in my life than I have to. Not all of them are trolls, many of them, actually, are pretty good looking, but I just don't want someone seeking after me because of my surface.

"Oh! Hello Alex." I say in faux surprise, I knew he was going to sneak up to me sooner or later.

"So Hanna, would you like you like to have a dance with me?" He held out a hand to me. Perfect manners, perfect boy. I honestly was not in the mood for this, but I pity him. Plus I have known him for nearly all my life, and he was shy towards me. Without saying a word, I got up and took his hand.

It was so boring. We danced for a while and until the third song was over he leaned closer to me, my face and his face almost touching. I decided to keep my hair down, letting all the white blonde curls roll down my back. My hair sort of a barrier between me and him. I try to lean away, but he just pulls me closer. I try to push, but it was useless, I guess being the Elector Primo's son had training advantages. He tried to place his lips on mine, but I continued to lean away and shaking my head.

"Oh, come on," He finally whispered. "I already know you want me. No need to hide that." His voice was seductive, I will admit that, but I do not fall for these tricks.

"For your information, I do not want you. You just asked me to dance, and I agreed. There was nothing else involved. Now please leave me alone." I say and with a final effort, I shoved him away from me and ran out of the first door I saw. He did not come after me, gladly.

When I closed the door behind me, I sank down to my feet. When I looked in front of me, I saw a man looking at me with a hoodie. Even in the dimness of the night and the rain blurring my vision, I knew he had the best looking face I have ever seen. His hair was messy, and the darkest shape of black possible and an exact match as his eyes. Those eyes were so dark they don't seem to have pupils. His lips are full and adorably pink. His smooth complexion was something hard to achieve. When I bent down to get a closer look, he flinched away, and that second glimpse I caught of him was enough to tell that he has Asian blood in him. Chinese or Vietnamese, maybe? There was definitely also some Caucasian in him. He hid his face from me.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask.

"Why do you ask?" He spits at me. His voice was gruff, and drowned with sleep.

"Well, you are only wearing a hoodie in the wet cold outside. You expect me not to ask?" I say as though this was the most obvious thing ever, which was, but he just did not seem to get it.

"Well you are Republic, what should I expect from you?" Then it hit me. The way he said "Republic" with so much hate it was plainly laid out in front of me. He is from the Colonies. The second it hits me, he realized he had said the wrong thing. "I mean like we were kind of cruel before…right?" He tries to amend, but it isn't fooling anyone and he knows it.

"Well, Colonist, I will try to help you. Step one is for you to tell me your name. So what's your name?"


	4. Chapter 4

Child

By LittleMissCrash

Chapter 4: Kalen

No matter how I try to evade from displaying my emotions, I cannot draw my eyes from this goddess who just descended from the sky. Actually she ran out of some door that was unseen ahead of me. I could feel the rain trickling down my back. It was a cold and sad feeling, like when my father looked at me condescendingly when I was young. It doesn't bother me much anymore, because I hate him just as he hates me. When I finally give in and look into this angel's sweet face, I could the genuine expression of worry. Her long and curly platinum hair was all but tumbling down one shoulder. _What is your name?_ She had asked me. That question rings in my head. Now that I have escaped from my dread, what do I call myself? The angel walks closer to me and kneels down to take one full look at my face.

"I-I can't tell you." Is all I manage to get out. The angel seems to consider this.

"Fair enough. I'll tell you mine then. I'm Hanna. Hanna Grace Wing." Hanna says in a voice that sounded like heaven bells. _Wing._ Why does that sound so familiar? Oh. Right. How can I forget? It was Republic's Daniel Wing, or Day, who caused the former Chancellors death when the entire aircraft crashed. It's his daughter. Obviously I wasn't alive when that happened, but it has a memorable memorial, having it placed directly in front of our front yard. Anyway, this Hanna's bright aura had immediately disappeared when someone opened the door she came out from. It was a tall and well-furnished young man that was about our ages. I hate snobs like this. I might be a hypocrite because I am one, but I don't look like one. His hair was all combed back and a tidy suit. He looked from Hanna to me and raised his eyebrows.

"Well, Hanna, you ought to be cold out there, let me take you inside and to my room so you can dry off." He said with a stabbing voice, obviously towards me. He reached his hand towards Hanna's wrist. Hanna jerked away from the touch of the new man's fingers.

"If you think in any case I would every go with you, you are so goddamned wrong!" Hanna says as she jerks away from him. The guy gives her a smirk and runs toward her to grab her. That is when I finally see the picture. I run up to the guy and shove him away. Honestly, he is not that bad looking. I wonder why he got so rejected by Hanna.

"Stay away from her!" I hear myself yell. I throw my fist into his stomach. I heard him grunt. Nice. He collapses on the ground and begins coughing. I turn and I see Hanna staring at me with her mouth open and gawking. Her curly hair was matted down by the continuous rain. Her eyes curiously wavered at me then look behind me. I smile and she opens her mouth.

"You took him down. Do you know whose son that is?" Her eyes were still as wide as ever. Their color was so beautiful. It was a bright blue color and it shines even in the dark. Her small face was masked with horror and surprise. "That's Alex, Alex Stravropoulos. The Elector's son." Oh crap. Just great. Just what I needed. I don't need two countries chasing after me.

"Ugh, come with me." Hanna pulls me by the arm down the wet and dark alley way.

We arrive at an apartment building, which I guess was where she lived. She punches a code onto a hologram looking thing, and leads me in. I forgot how we got up to her apartment. We took the elevator, most likely. She leads me inside her posh apartment, everything that we cannot afford in the now nearly bankrupt Colonies. Even though I live in the Chancellor Mansion, every piece of furniture is dull, and unlike there, every piece of furniture is artwork.

"Have a seat." She says, as I was still mesmerized by the room. I sit on a more than soft couch, and she begins talking, and just as I was drawn to the room, I was drawn to her amazing voice. "I understand why you don't want to tell me you name, but I can't properly thank you if you don't." I listen to her words and watch her full pink lips move. Her long lashes cover her eyes as she blinks. Then I realized her question was for me.

I fumbled out something that sounded like, "I'm…en…Trems…ri."

"What?" She says with utter confusion.

"I mean…er…I'm Kalen Hemspari." I repeat. I was surprised at myself. I never, I mean _never_ blush in front of a girl, yet Hanna has somehow defeated me for that matter. I look up at her again, and I see a moment of recognition then doubt.

"No way, you mean you are _him_? That isn't possible. No royalty can get past our borders." I just stare at her face as she tries to find the right words. "Okay, I know you are trying to get attention, by calling yourself that and all, but you are already attracting a large crowd with that face of yours, especially me. So maybe you can end this charade, and just tell me your name so this can be a whole lot simpler." I waited for her to finish. I understand this kind of things, since it happens quite a lot when I stroll down the streets. But in the end the only thing that stood out to me was she said I looked good, which I knew, but coming from this angel is another matter.

"I'm not lying. Search up some pictures, it would be this face." I said with a grin.

"B-But you cannot possibly be the world's biggest playboy!" She finally began to sound faltered. She always seemed to speak with some authority. _Playboy, huh._ I thought. That really is kind of funny and true at the same time. I cannot ever commit to anyone. It just is not something I do.

"Would you like me to prove to you? If I'm the biggest playboy there is wouldn't I know a little something?" I said leaving a smirk on my face. Her face was filled with shock and disbelief, until they melted into something new. Somehow, sometime, somewhere, our lips connected. They were the softest I had ever kissed. We continued until I decided to pull away, leaving her wanting more.

Yes, I know. I'm evil.

"Now do you believe me?" I say mockingly. She made a sort of pout and grumbled out a "yeah".

I really like Hanna Wing.


	5. Chapter 5

Child

By LittleMissCrash

Chapter 5: Hanna

This is wrong. I should not be _making out_ with my country's enemy, but when he leaned away, I realized I was not ready. Sure I've kissed other people before, a lot actually, but Kalen made me want to linger.

 _What is wrong with you?_ I think to myself. _How can you be acting like this while your brother is dying in a hospital?_ In school we learned about the ruthless plague that thrived as a military weapon against the colonies. This man's country was what caused Dawn his sickness. We also learned that this plague mutates so easily that once it thrives again, it will likely be uncontrollable and cause death. Why should it be my brother? Why should it be the young and innocent fourteen-year-old?

I realized that Kalen was waiting for me to say something. How on Earth can I be kissing the biggest playboy in the world? How could it lead to this?

"I, er, need to go. I think that my mom is looking for me by now." I say awkwardly. I looked up at him, I and I was sure as hell I was blushing. The expression on his face was a sort of satisfaction but then concern washed over.

"You are going back to that ball, with some insane pervert stalking you, because you are worried that your family is worried about you?" He asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah, basically." I fumbled through words. "So, where are you staying tonight? I mean it isn't like you have a home here." I saw him smirk for second, but then it was in a frozen stone of seriousness. His expression seemed to show _Wow, you are that worried for me?_ Honestly, what else can I do? I try to not admit to myself that I liked him, but by now it was even obvious to him. His pitch black eyes stared back at me.

"I guess I just live in some corner, like how you found me." He shrugged, not interested in the idea probably.

"Oh. I guess I better get going." I stand up and I look down to him, who looked to be going over something in his mind. "I think you should come too. I mean I'm not kicking you out of my apartment…sort of." That knowing smirk settled my unsettling nerves. He got up, ignoring my outstretched hand and led the way out.

"So, I guess I shouldn't follow you any further now." Kalen said glumly. His expression was so funny I had to giggle. He shot me a questionable look and gestured towards the back entrance of the ballroom. I looked back at him as I walked towards the door. I was surprised at how upset I felt.

"Am I never going to see you again?" I ask in anticipation. I got back disappointment. He shook his head and mouthed an "I'd rather not". He did not tell me his full story for being here because of the mild interruption, but I understood anyway. I had figured long ago that he was running away from something. That frantic look that he gave me when I first saw him proves it. "I guess bye, then." At that moment I knew I had ruined everything. Kalen had made me feel comfortable and safe. The way he saved me was heroic definitely, and might not be here without him. It sounded cheesy even in my head. Kalen nods toward me with a smirk, but it was and empty look. I turned and headed towards the door.

"Hanna, where have you been?!" Mom whispers at me. Her eyes were wide with worry.

"I'm sorry, but Alex decided chase me out of the building to pursue me, and I can't just get caught by him." I say with the tinge of cool trailing away as I go on. My mom would never believe what Alex tried to do with me, because she was completely loyal to the Elector. They had even dated once, not a topic my dad likes to talk about though. As expected, I see my mom's face filled with disbelief and look away in disappointment, or in her code, it meant we were going to talk about it later. Now that she had left me alone, I take a seat on a nearby sofa and keep on a look out for any sign of Alex.

After a while I began snacking, and to my surprise, Annie decided to ruin my day.

"I see that Dawn isn't here." She says in her bossy voice and mocking look. Who knew a thirteen year old can be so goddamned annoying. "I also see that you did not let me visit even though everybody knew he asked for it." Ugh, she pisses me off so much even when she isn't talking to my brother.

"Please, Anais. Stop creating extra drama, and everybody knows, even the Colonies know, that my brother never requested you. He might not have stopped you and your continuous flirting, but I am his sister and I understand him. He won't want you." I knew that I had set her off. My parents hated Annie, even though my father is best friends with her parents. Even though Annie was on the verge of tears she pushed back and laughed coldly.

"I'm not here to listen to your useless lectures. You are wrong. Dawn has already committed to me, so it does not matter what you say. Like you said, you are only her brother but nowhere close to being him. I am actually here to get rid of all of Dawn's distractions, which means my primary target would be you." She left the threat hanging there and dramatically walked away. I honestly had the urge to laugh at first glance, but I knew Annie hated me. _She is serious._ A small voice at the back of my head said. It would be cliché to believe that she was going. What is this, a soap opera? Jealousy, threats, what is next? Oh my god.

I sat here feeling betrayed by my brother whom I have trusted so much. Everyone knew that Annie's infatuation with Dawn will pass. It was absolutely unbelievable.

"Mom, I'm going to go to the hospital." I say to her when I find her. I did not wait for her response, knowing she will say, "No way."

My father always tells me not to be too hard on my mother, because she has had a hard past. My dad told me the story a lot when I was still a curious child. Uncle Metias was killed and my father was framed for it. My mother was trying to track him down with the idea of vengeance, until she connected the missing pieces that my father was not the one who killed her brother. At the time all was in my mother's eyes were the red eyes of fury and ready to claw out the one who had killed the only person who understood her.

"June Iparis was hard to understand." My father said before. "She was so different from everybody else, and nobody can get to know this poor orphaned prodigy without it turning into a full on fist fight." I always smiled at that. The idea of my graceful mother breaking a punch at someone was blasphemous. "Day, however, knew what June was going through. He lost both parents and a brother as well. The devastation was true. They found each other."

This story always calms me down to think about my parents' unfortunate past.

In a way, it was sort of like my encounter with Kalen.


	6. Chapter 6

Child

By LittleMissCrash

Chapter 6: Kalen

I continued down the alley, thinking about Hanna's remarkable beauty. The blonde hair that tumbled down her back as she leaned towards me, the clearest blue I have ever seen in her suspicious elegant eyes. Honestly I don't even know if eyes could be called elegant. I tried to not play the girl role in the school-girl crush scenario, but I can't help it. The angel that had mesmerized me seemed only like an illusion in the dreary rain that continued as a downpour. I resisted the urge to follow Hanna and keep her from Alex. I retired to a small corner that seemed like the most unseen place in this entire alley.

 _I had told her we would never see each other ever again_. Why did I have to ruin it I could just said, "Yeah, I'll look for you." Even though that sounded cheesy it was better than "I'd rather not." Suddenly my head darted towards the entrance of the alley. I heard footsteps that were getting louder to the sound of the rain by the second.

"I heard that the Colonies are going to declare war on the Republic." One distinctly male voice said.

"What? Why? What did we do to them this time?" A second voice, a woman, said. _You made my country go bankrupt with your cheating tactics._ Was what I wanted to say. Obviously I am not exactly bursting with country patriotism, but my childhood was poor even as son of the Chancellor.

"They claim that we kidnapped their Chancellor's son. Honestly I have never seen the boy in any of the news. Plus what could we do with a seventeen-year-old boy? It isn't like he's going to be a threat to us." The man said.

"Well, Hamelin. Remember Day? He was the one who ended the last dreaded war, but everything that I know of his history are from books…" The woman trailed off, with her mind drifting somewhere else. By now, the couple had already passed my alley and hurried on. I yearned to know the rest of their conversation. What kinds of rumors were being told? What was my reputation here? Was my father really declaring a war because of my runaway act? Questions swerved all over my mind. I stood up, and began to follow the couple. I tried to stay quiet, which was easy with the loud and pouring rain. It was so cold I was shivering from the chills that vibrated off my spine. My stomach growled. I cursed and took out a hunger pellet popping it into my mouth, with a loud crunch.

The couple noticed the noise immediately and both swirled. I stepped into the alley shadows, and to my dismay, they decided to investigate. With quick reflexes I swathed the wet mop of hair into my face and put my hood on. Then I curled into a position that would look like I was there all along.

"Just a little con, is it." Hamelin said with an edge of superiority. "Maybe you should go cower somewhere else." He rolled up his sleeve and he was well clothed, so he was probably another rich snob. "Elleia let me deal with this little scum that ruined our walk." Elleia backed away umbrella at hand as if ready to smack me with it. It was such a hilarious sight that I couldn't help but release the laugh that was contained within me for so long.

Hamelin's eyes flashed anger and burned with hatred that I had stepped all over his ego. As if he had any. His arm swung at me. He was so bulky that dodging him could have been done by a ninety year old man. I threw one arm at his stomach, which was left unguarded. There was a very loud "Oomph" when I pulled my arm back. I lurched away and ran off with my stuff.

I have to go tell Hanna.


	7. Chapter 7

Child

By LittleMissCrash

Chapter 7: Hanna

I tried to be aware that night that Annie's threats were just some kind of child play, but it kept me paranoid and avoided me becoming insanely drunk, thankfully. I know that Alex is somewhere to look for the first chance to kidnap me or something. I hate mom for thinking he was sweet and innocent. She doesn't know him. It isn't like she grew up almost next to him with an obvious child-like crush. He and Annie are just the same, both with high and hanging fantasies. For all I know, she's not getting my brother and Alex isn't getting me. Thinking so hard makes my eyes droop and I want to just doze off on this plush couch. I can't let that happen. My mind drifts back to Kalen, who I've been trying to avoid thinking about. He'd made my heart pound like nobody I've ever been with. My mind lingers at the teasing kiss we had shared.

My mind was drifting away. _Maybe I shouldn't have drunken that last wine._ My eyes closed slowly and I eventually drifted away.

Everything was dark. My hands were sore. My entire body hurts. The smell of urine overwhelms me. When I squint and try to see, I could barely see a distinct figure. It was small and feminine, barely matured. At that moment I knew who it was. I looked down, to find that my tight dress was splattered with something and was torn at places. I saw dark bruises developing all over my exposed skin.

"Annie?" I found my voice was hoarse and barely audible. She shot a glare and walked out some door, closing it with a slam. I try to call out after her, but my throat fails me. I wanted to move my hands from this fetal position, but they seemed to be bound by something. My clothes were soaked with sweat. My hair was dripping with what seemed to be mud. When I focus on the splatters that dotted my dress, I found that it was blood. Annie seemed to have come for me after all. I try to scoot toward where Annie had exited, but the pain overwhelmed me. I was probably screaming unconsciously when Annie did whatever she did to me, which I imagined as not good. I just shrink back into the cold and sadness, which I imagined was what Kalen was going through right now.

After a while, the pain fades a bit so I take my time to look around and take in the scene. I was trapped in some sort of prison cell, with rusty old fashioned barred windows from the earlier times. So then this obviously wasn't part of the new and reformed section of the former Colonies' land. This was probably the older sector of Denver.

My military mind takes over. Where are the possible exits? How can I get out without making a commotion? Most importantly, can I even move? I test this out. First I try to get to my feet, and then I attempt standing up. No problem. There were still a lot of sores, but it wasn't unbearable. My hands were shackled by heavy iron cuffs. If I angle myself just the right way, I can move them to my desire. I notice my shoes had been tossed to the side, and those stiletto heels were better than nothing to pick the lock on these chains. I kick it towards the wall so it would bounce towards me and I quickly snatch it and begin the job. For once I was thankful for taking those stupid classes. There was the click that verified my success and I toss the cuffs to the side. I also take the heels of the other shoe and break it off. It seemed like a decent weapon.

"Stop, or I'll shoot." I heard a voice behind me. It was one I knew too well.

I turned and there was Dawn.

 **Hi everyone! This is LittleMissCrash. Sorry for not submitting in a while, but here is the next chapter. Tomorrow there will be another chapter** **. Happy Thanksgiving!**


	8. Chapter 8

Child

By LittleMissCrash

Chapter 8: Kalen

I try to run as fast as I can without slipping on the ever wet roads. The roads still looked familiar from the instant I passed them before. Soon I hurried to the backdoor when I first met Hanna. She should be inside there, but I can't just rush in there with my drenched clothes. I didn't pack anything formal, thinking I wouldn't need them anymore. _You know what? Maybe I'll just waltz in there like this and nobody would notice. Hanna needs to know about this._

I take a deep breath and shove open the door and the scent of food overwhelms me. I know I just ate a hunger pellet, but event that has no flavor whatsoever. I duck down, hoping nobody sees me until I find Hanna. Luckily, everyone was either too drunk or thought I was a servant or something to notice me. I walked through all the crowds, having no luck in locating Hanna. I stopped and decided to sit in the corner until anybody familiar passed by.

Time slowly passed by, eventually I doze off. When my eyes open again, I find that Hanna was right in front of me her face calculating and skeptical.

"Hanna?" I say mindlessly.

When my mind finally comes through, I find that it wasn't Hanna staring at me, but a woman with the face of Hanna staring at me. All the features were the same except for the eyes and hair. Her eyes weren't blue but black with golden specks, and her hair color was also dark. Otherwise, the blinding beauty was not changed. This woman was also a lot older, and could have been Hanna's mom. Hanna's mom…

"How do YOU know my daughter?" Her tone was a cross between anger, suspicious, and worried. June Iparis, the prodigy of the Republic, of course. I fumble upon my words having no clue what would go flying out of my mouth. Eventually I find my tongue.

"Er, what are you talking about?" I guess playing dumb was my only strategy here. June didn't look convinced.

"I'm asking how you know my daughter's name." Her voice was filled with authority and control, probably from her earlier soldier years. Honestly I was a little scared of her.

"Do you mean I muttered the name Hanna in my sleep?" I was still playing the clueless part.

"Yes mister. You are a child from the slums in a high class party and you fell asleep here muttering my daughter's name." Her voice was rising with anger. I still tried to act confused.

"I just wandered in here because I was looking for a place to sleep." Now I was avoiding the questions and I could tell that June had saw through my strategy.

"And what do you have to do with my daughter?" She said bringing the question back up again. By now, all I can do is lie, which I am pretty good at already.

"Hanna's my girlfriend…um…she lives in the Lake sector. I don't think that is your daughter, though." I say as innocently as I possibly can. June still didn't look convinced.

"Oh, all right then." And she left to join the party. I sigh in relief and lean back on the wall and relax my tense muscles. I try to piece things together from this encounter with Hanna's mom. It seems as though June had been looking for Hanna. Does that mean Hanna never made it back? Did she run away after she made it back to the party? Just then, I heard someone whispering.

"Do you have her in the dungeon?" One voice that was a cross between a male and a female voice said.

"You mean Hanna Wing? Yeah, we got her." The second voice distinctly male said.

Somebody has Hanna? In a dungeon? What is going on? If I was going to get more information on Hanna, my only choice is to follow them.


	9. Chapter 9

Child

By LittleMissCrash

Chapter 9: Hanna

"Dawn," when I spoke, I could hear my voice tremble. "What are you doing here?" When I asked that question, he smirked as though the answer was as obvious as day.

"Well, my darling sister, I would imagine that we are both here to enjoy each other's company, yes? No I am here to shoot you through the head, you moron." His voice was taunting and made me want to punch him. Even in this situation he was still able to make jokes. Then I realized something.

"Aren't you sick?" I ask in pain for him, but I notice that his bruise colored patch was gone, and I realized that we have all been tricked. This was one sick reality. Annie is insane. He smiles again when I realize. "You tricked everybody in the family for your sick little game. Dawn this is out of control. I thought you hated Annie! You told me yourself!" I was literally screaming my head off. He made mom, dad, and I all so worried for him, especially Uncle Eden, because he knew what Dawn was going through. Or what he was supposed to go through.

"I've always loved Annie. She made me feel like I belonged here. All you guys ever did was making me feel not perfect. I agreed to her plan, because it means that I can finally be perfect and with nobody to compare to me." As he says this, I see the small trail of tears that begin to form, and it pulled on my heart strings. It pained me to think that he has always thought this about the rest of his family.

"You should have told me." I try, but Dawn was already set. He was reading to pull the trigger. Then somebody walks up behind him. It was Annie. Of course. She is sick. Even for such a young person, who anyone would expect to be innocent, she can take a seventeen-year-old into a torture chamber and beat her to near death.

"She still isn't dead? Don't you realize that this is your chance to gain your perfection? Come on Dawn." Annie says with a nonchalant voice.

Kalen, I need Kalen. I realized that he was the one who said we would never see each other again. _Why would he come after you?_ The small voice at the back of my head questioned. Then I hear the sound of glass breaking and grunts of people. So Annie has body guards, does she? Annie whips back at the door and races down the hall to see what was going on. Dawn was eager to find out too, but he seemed to remember that I was ready to escape from this chamber. He turned towards me and pointed the gun at me once again. I just stood there as I was curious about what was disturbing their execution.

Then I saw Kalen and his dark hair and eyes standing at the door. We stared at each other for a second, and then he plucked the gun out of Dawn's shaking hands, as though Dawn was barely gripping on it. He punched my brother in the stomach, and Dawn collapsed. I was about to protest, but then I realized that he had almost killed me.

"Help me carry him." I say, and lift up Dawn's body.

"Why?" He says, and he seemed genuinely confused. Right. I haven't explained the story yet. I explain all that has happened, including that my brother just tried to kill me. Instead of understanding, he seemed even more confused. "You love him so much and he tried to kill you, but you are still willing to forgive him?" I just shake my head.

"I'm his sister, and I have a responsibility, even if he did try to kill. Besides, he thought that we were the ones that exploited him. Come on, help me carry him. He may be small looking, but he's sturdy." I say and attempt to carry him again. Kalen sighs and lifts Dawn over his shoulder as though he weighted nothing but a feather.

"So what do you supposed we do about the girl? She seemed like their ringleader." Kalen says, breaking the silence. We sat down earlier and he gave me this thing called a hunger pellet that is supposed to rid your hunger, and the thing actually works! It was already the middle of the day, meaning that my mother and father both are looking for us and probably Annie's parents too.

"I don't know." I finally say. I am truly out of ideas. What kind of problem is this? My brother tried to kill me, but I don't want to turn him in. If I don't turn him in I would have no way of proving Annie guilty. I feel as though I am caught in a repeating cycle. Then I remembered something I wanted to ask Kalen. "Why did you come for me?" I saw his face change color and he was fumbling for words. Somehow this comforted me.

"Er…well…I…I like you." He managed to say. Why did this statement make me so happy? He's from the Colonies!

How had I managed to get myself in so much confusion, when yesterday morning still seemed perfectly normal?


	10. Chapter 10

Child

By LittleMissCrash

Chapter 10: Kalen

I was still waiting for Hanna to answer, after my stupid confession. First of all, why had I said that so blatantly? Second of all, I shouldn't just say that to her without knowing her feelings toward me. In her mind, I am probably still the not promising playboy and this might all be just an act. Then again, she hasn't moved an inch, so is that a possible sign? I watch her intently and her eyes with long clear lashes blinked away from my dark ones. What does that mean?

"I," she whispered, "I like you too." And afterwards she looked back at me, shaking her pale matted down hair. Again, just like last night, our lips met. Even under so much stress around us, with Dawn still knocked out at my feet, her lips were still soft. She pushed into me a bit more, and I held her close.

"Could you guys take this make out session somewhere else?" A sudden voice broke the connection. It was Hanna's brother, Dawn Wing. I really wanted to punch him again. The dark haired boy's eyes were dotted with gold specks. I could tell that the beauty ran in the family. I shot a glance at Hanna, her eyes were boiling with anger, betrayal, and something else that I can't identify.

"Could YOU have chosen another time to interrupt?" Ooh sassy. She opened her mouth to say something else, as if to amend what she just said. Why was she trying to apologize, he had almost killed her. Dawn was then trying to get up, but I trip him and he glares at me. I smirk at him. He is not going be going anywhere soon.

"What do we do with him?" I ask Hanna. She considers this for a second, her blue eyes staring intently at the ground.

"I'm going to take him home." For a second I thought I heard wrong. I think my face showed how I was feeling, because like I said before, he almost killed her. "You probably think I'm crazy, but I have no evidence of what they did to me. I can't just get rid of him because he's my brother, and even if he tried to kill me, it was for a reason and it is still my duty to love him." After this speech, I resisted to argue, even though I still believed that he's still a threat to Hanna. And with those eyes glaring at me, it was obvious that he still wanted to murder her. His eyes were filled with hatred, the complete opposite of Hanna's. I can't believe they're related. I only nod, because I was afraid that if I open my mouth profanities, curses, and such would strike her down.

"Do you want to come with me? I mean, without you I don't know how I'm supposed to explain it." She asked. I nod again.

We reached her apartment once again, and it seemed so normal…until I saw Hanna's mom. I forgot about my little feud with her at the ballroom. Great, now how should I explain this?

"You again!" June said. She was flaming. "So is this your girlfriend from the Lake Sector? Her father might be, but she belongs in the Ruby Sector." June runs up and grabs Hanna by the arm and pulled her and her brother inside.

"I never want to see you again, you little con!"

 **Yay! This is my 10** **th** **chapter! Thank you so much for all of your support! Oh yeah, and happy New Year!**


	11. Chapter 11

Child

By LittleMissCrash

Chapter 11: Hanna

I stare at the window and at the path where Kalen walked away. I remember the pain of explaining everything to my mom, but of course she wouldn't believe my incident with Alex. She said she wasn't having any of it. She is so clueless! I figured I might as well not say anything about Dawn, because I could already hear the pointless argument. Sometimes I can't believe that she's the Prodigy. I was already grounded, no balls (Thank goodness! Did she think I enjoyed them?), extra chores (That's okay, because I already do all of them anyway.), and no games. Okay, I have to admit, this hit me pretty hard, because I was a hardcore gamer, I mean like Shootout? Beat it. Ace Pilot? Level 65. ROFELL Knockout? Old school. Day and June (Don't ask. They made a game about my parents.)? Don't even let me start. Anyway, that is basically all I do after homework. I know I am nerd, but I really can't help it. My mom and dad had a country to save when they were my age and the country was so poor, that I doubt that they couldn't have done anything extra when they were busy training. So my mom taking away the games essentially left me nothing to do, but looking out the window. I just wished that Kalen would come back for me. I played back they kiss we had until—

"So you decided not to turn me in after all." I heard the overconfident voice of Dawn behind me, something I wasn't used to. Usually his voice showed little to no emotion at all. And why was he always here at the wrong times? How should I play this?

"Just go away. I don't care if you're my brother or that you nearly killed me. Just go." I say as icily as I possibly can.

"What happened to that boy? Shouldn't he be climbing in through the window trying to reach you with all his might?" His taunting voice drove me to turn around. His dark hair was wet, indicating a recent shower. His eyes were dotted with gold specks. Even though we're siblings, be could have been two different people from two different families. His eyes were a bit tilted up, indicated Asian descent (my dad's side of the family has a bit of Mongol.), but my eyes were large and blue. After glaring at him for a minute longer, I turned and sighed. How can fourteen-year-olds be so dangerous? I honestly think something in him has been rewired wrong or something. Then that brings me to Annie, who aside from plainly disliking, no, _despising_ me, is a mass murderer. I can't just report that some random thirteen-year-old desires to murder me with her bloody hands from stealing my brother's heart.

"Dawn, why didn't you say something?" I said halfheartedly not really expecting a response. He didn't surprise me either. He just walked out and slammed his door shut. My mom had locked the door from the outside when she left for the Investigation Meeting to discuss our short disappearance. So I can't just ditch the apartment. I continue to stare outside and at the skies. Then I stare at the road, just wishing Kalen would come and save me from this hellhole.

I guess I must have fallen asleep, because by the time my eyes open again, the sun was already setting, but then I heard a knocking noise. Was it from my door? Certainly not, since it was open. Where was it coming from? I looked around the room and the knocking seemed to lead me to my window. I peered out and…Kalen! I nearly pull the window handle out as I ferociously yanked it open.

"Not so loud." He whispered, but I didn't care. I pulled him in for a hug, which he gladly accepts, but he pulls away quickly. His face was serious. "I came here to tell you something I forgot to tell you before. The Colonies are planning to declare war for my absence. They're going to blame my disappearance as a kidnapping, which is obviously not true." As I was listening I became dazed at his eyes. They have grabbed me in and I was falling, falling but never landing. It was as though his eyes were hollow. Then I shook myself. The Colonies could be declaring war on us and I am fascinating over a boy's pretty eyes? How shallow could I be?

"What are you going to do? Go back?" The thought of him not being here pained me, but I owed him. He saved me twice. He must have seen the crazed horror that had embarrassingly shown through my eyes, because his tense expression softened and looked at me in _that_ way again.

"No. I'm not going back. First of all my father would just cast me away to some unbeknownst place and blame the Republic again. Second of all, well you're here." His eyes stared into mine again. I had no idea what to do, for I have never been in this kind of situation before. Then there was thumping down the hallway. Kalen's head jerked up then whispered a "I'll see ya" or something then pressed a kiss on my cheek and flung himself out of the window. I couldn't look back because the door to my room was already open.

"Hanna, why is your window open?" My mother said.

"It was getting hot, and the air conditioner stopped working." I said, trying my best to slip into the role of innocence. Even though she didn't seem convinced, she sighed and walked out, shutting my door.

And I was back to where I was this morning.


End file.
